The premiers have added James Frawley to their ranks and former number 2 draft pick, in 2012, Jonathan O'Rourke has requested to be traded to Hawthorn. That's one club that need all the help they can get

Ok. The AFL has gone completely MAD and this is uncalled for. I am appalled and Sydney had better fight this because this is bloody ridiculous. The AFL enfored COLA and made it mandatory and now they are punishing our team because by not letting us trade anymore players IN until 2017? What a joke! Why not allow us to trade in players WITHOUT the COLA. Surely this needs to change. Essendon, Hird and the Board get slaps across the wrist and yet we follow the rules and we get punished? That isn't fair! Not to mention GWS. Does the same rules apply? They get it too you know.

Look i get COLA is one of those controversial things BUT its being phased out as the AFL said it would be AND like i said the AFL told Sydney you have no choice. You can't offer it to some and not others. Contracts are not something you can just breach. Studying a bit of law i know this, that is why it was being phased out. Now the AFL's stance is get rid of it now or suffer. Its completely ridiculous and i know who this has come from. Eddie McGuire has been after it since day one. This is going to backfire and backfire badly. The AFL's brand is already tarnished with the Essendon saga which should have ended 12 months ago and yet its still going on and now this. If they AFL don't backflip on this, it will be yet another major court case in waiting but this time i believe its one Sydney will win. We broke no rules. I'm just so angry

GWS have just traded Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley and pick 19 (compo pick for O'Rourke going to Hawthorn last week) for pick 7. Jaksch, Whiley, O'Rourke, pick 19 out, pick 7 in for GWS. Here I was concerned GWS (and Gold Coast) would dominate the competition soon because of all their high draft picks but GWS have shown themselves to be nothing more than a feeder club.

Trade period ended yesterday. Next phase is the AFL Draft and then Rookie/Preseason drafts at the end of November, start of December.

The most unusual trade would have to be the Adelaide Crows trading pick 10 and 47 to Geelong for pick 14 and 35. Why would any club want to downgrade a first round draft pick all so they can upgrade a round 3 pick to a 2 pick? It doesn't make any sense.

"While we cannot meet all requests, we believe there are significant moves as part of today's fixture release that will be well received, depending on the different needs and requests of fans in different parts of Australia."

In other developments from the fixture, it was confirmed that:

- Carlton and Richmond will open the season at the MCG on Easter Thursday- The League has scrapped Sunday night matches and removed the Monday night match during the Mother's Day round- There will be five Thursday night games across the season and four in consecutive weeks between rounds 12-15- The first Grand Final rematch between Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans will be in round eight at the MCG- There is a focus on more Saturday twilight football for Gold Coast- There will be five games on ANZAC Day, including St Kilda playing Carlton at Wellington as the opening game- All Victorian-based clubs will travel interstate at least five times

Clubs will have a mid-season bye in either rounds 11, 12 and 13, with six matches to be played in each of those rounds.

No teams play each other for the second time until after round ten, and all clubs will play each other once by round 22.

The season will open immediately after the cricket World Cup, allowing football to have access to all major venues around the country.

The "weighted rule" will be in effect again, with each club to play every other club once and five clubs twice.

This is done in accordance with last year's ladder, with the clubs grouped into top six, middle and bottom teams to manage the equality of the double match-ups.

"We're happy with the way it works. I think if you look at it, all the right teams are playing each other in our view," said Simon Lethlean, the AFL's general manager of broadcasting and scheduling.

"The best performed teams from last year might have the hardest draws.

"I think Hawthorn has been saying they've had the hardest draws the last two years and they've won [the premiership]. We're comfortable with how it looks and I think it's the right way to go."

McLachlan denied it was a "handicap" format.

"In an imperfect world, which our fixture is and we've acknowledged that for many years, you're playing at the margins and all we've done is actually get some slight weighting going into who plays who twice," McLachlan said.

"If you look at last year, it was the same formula and the best teams made the eight and the best teams were in the Grand Final."

McLachlan said there had been talks with venue partners recently about allowing clubs to replicate the type of "fan experience" Port Adelaide introduced at home games this year.

The Power had scoreboard, audio and signage control at their games at Adelaide Oval, which created a unique experience for fans.

McLachlan said the League's intention was to work with the venues to allow all clubs to become involved in "defining their own experience" at home games.

He said announcements on 'match-day experience' - and a new model to purchase tickets - would be made in the coming weeks.

Good Friday missed out on football this year but will again come into consideration for a game in 2016.

What i came in here to say is that Gary Ablett is back in training. I really think in 2015 the Gold Coast can make the finals and as for Brisbane well lets just say i think they will be the surprise packets of 2015 and could make the top 4 just looking at their team on paper right now.

Draft in coming up in a couple of weeks too. Will be interesting to see who St Kilda pick.